Sanctified Sanity
R. David Rightmire

 Many Salvationists may still recognize the name, but fewer appreciate the influence that Brengle had on the development of The Salvation Army's holiness theology. Dr. Rightmire has written a theological reassessment of Brengle's thoughts and life to reacquaint you with the legacy of this holiness apostle. 

Messianic Passages and You

Praise the Lord for Messianic passages that describe the character of the Messiah, His purpose, when He will come and much more. In hindsight we look back and connect the Messianic passages to Jesus and how they were and are being fulfilled in Him. Yet, some are recorded as having understood them in foresight and identified Jesus as the promised One.

Now the tragedy is that with all the biblical information in the Old Testament as to who the Messiah would be, and all the religious leaders and common people looking for His arrival, the passages fell short because Jesus was not identified to be the Messiah by the religious leaders nor by most of the common people.

Identifying the Messiah was, indeed, one of the purposes of the Messianic passages. They do point Him out among the crowd of people in history. But the passages also do us a huge favor as Christians. They identify Christlikeness.

· God is omniscient, He knew the Messianic passages wouldn’t be of paramount use in identifying Jesus when He came. Some would understand. Most would not.

· God knew they would be of more help in identifying, giving confidence and strengthening faith in His people after the Spirit came and illuminated eyes and hearts to receive His Son as the promised Messiah.

· And perhaps most valuable are the Messianic passages in describing the character of Christ. The character we are to imitate. The character God makes possible when He fills us with His Holy Spirit.

What is Christ like character? We read it in passages like Isaiah 11 and Jeremiah 23. Then we must ask ourselves, if Jesus is like this and His Spirit lives in me … am I like this? If Jesus is “just” am I just? If Jesus lives right before God, do I? If Jesus exhibits heavenly wisdom, do I model Him in my daily life and choices?

The Messianic chapters seem far more helpful to us who follow Him now, than they did in identifying Jesus before He came. Be transformed into the image of the Son.

GOD’S PERFECT JUSTICE

Manasseh and Amon, Manasseh’s son established a season of terror and sin for Judah. This stood in stark contrast to Josiah who follows his Grandfather and father and we are told there was none like Josiah in his wholehearted devotion to the LORD.

Great news, you think. Finally, after five decades of evil a righteous man takes the throne and Judah will be restored and forgiven. Ah, but alas we know that not to be true. After Josiah’s death wrath and judgment follow and the Jews are overtaken by disaster and led into exile.

Why? After finding the Book of the Law, dusting it off and reading it, Josiah repented, tore his garment in anguish over their sin. Where is the grace of God in all this? Keep in mind what he heard was the unrelenting justice of God that would not look the other way when His children lived in sin. Keep in mind, knowing that God would not relent from the punishment He promised, Josiah lived a righteous life anyway! 

To make a long story short. Josiah repented. Josiah was cut to the heart and grieved over the sin that had been committed. Josiah consecrated his life to live wholeheartedly for the LORD. The people went along with it as long as Josiah was King but never bought into it. Their hearts were divided. Their hearts were made of stone. Their hearts where determined not to surrender to God and God alone. They entered into the covenant but their hearts were never His.

Josiah made a U-turn but the people did not. As soon as his reign ended, they went right back to the trough of pagan living. God is just. He punishes sin. The people did not repent. As a result, they were punished for their sin as God’s word had promised. God does not extend grace to those who will not repent. God is just. (See 2 Kings 22:11-23:3) 

PERCEPTION OF PENTECOST 

Spiritual sight and seeing things differently is one of the many facets of a Pentecost experience.  Your disciple must have the infilling of the Holy Spirit or your investment of time, money, energy and life to life sharing will be a waste.  You will simply be communicating to an unsaved person what Christianity is about but they will be unable to live it.

With Pentecost comes at least seven benefits of our eyes being opened to true reality:

• Obviously, the first benefit is life, life eternal, life in relationship with one's Savior, Creator and Lord.  Real life, not one we manufacture day by day.  If the Holy Spirit lives in you then you have life.
• The next benefit of Pentecost is you realize you now are part of a global endeavor.  At Pentecost global outreach became the norm.  Human vision was replaced by the vision of God for a lost world.
• The disciples moved from one new experience to another.  The disciples went and did what no one had done before.
• The disciple's ambitions and endeavors were sanctified.  They were not "their" goals and desires.  Everything they undertook was of the Holy Spirit and required a dying to self.
• Their passion became God's passion which ultimately led them to death.  They gave up everything to follow and that meant following to the bitter end.
• The disciple's Pentecost vision opened up their eyes to a lost world and motivated them to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone.
• The Pentecostal mindset means I become part of the Body of Christ.  I am not a Lone Ranger but part of the community of life in Jesus Christ where everyone is called to follow.

Pentecost was the new future for those who loved Jesus.  Their past and present didn't define them.  A powerful, healthy, fruitful future lie ahead.  The same is true for you and your disciples.

THE CROSS, THE RESURRECTION AND DISCIPLESHIP

The four Gospels all build up to Jesus’ death on the cross. Not all climax at that point but all traverse to the suffering and crucifixion of our Savior. Rightly, so. For there hung our perfect sacrificial lamb on a tree of shame and rejection. He turned it into a catalyst for God’s power and God’s glory. Our sins can now be forgiven! I can stand justified before God. A friend of God. 

Faith in Christ alone is the starting point for discipleship provided by Jesus alone. It rocked all of human history. The call goes out to all who will respond, “Come follow Me” (Matt. 4:19). I am the Savior of the world.

Likewise, all four Gospels draw the reader to the greatest and final redemptive act in God’s plan to save the world. Jesus physically rises from death after being buried for three days in a rich man’s tomb. The point? God has conquered death. God has provided the avenue of life for all who will receive Jesus, and those who do will live forever. They also will be ambassadors of the King of Life.

Now, what more can be said? Is there anything else that would accompany such spectacular events? We’ll now that you mention it, yes! The risen Jesus gathers all (11) of His disciples and adds, “go make disciples” (Matt. 28:19). 

His disciples meet Him on a mountain, worship Him, and question all that has taken place. However, don’t lose sight of the fact that they are there because they are His. He is their Messiah. He walked, talked, taught, healed, cast out and lived out His life with them for three years. 

Now, because of Him they are inexorably bound together. Their faith is now taken to a much greater level. They serve a living, risen Lord who is alive forever more.

Holding on to this realization brings a confidence in being His disciples. He provided forgiveness from the penalty of sin, victory over the power of sin and the promise to be with us until the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). The work done on the cross, the victory of the empty tomb and the Commission to make disciples provides everything necessary to redeem a lost and dying world.